Disposable and Flexible PEDOT:PSS-based Temperature Sensor for Healthcare Applications

Abstract

Temperature sensors with excellent disposability, biocompatibility, flexibility, and a facile fabrication process are strongly desirable for real-world applications in the realm of wearable healthcare. In this paper, we demonstrate poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)based temperature sensor that has a PEDOT:PSS sensing layer and drop casted on graphene carbon ink based interdigitated electrodes (IDEs), screen printed on a paper substrate. The temperature sensing characteristics were examined in the range of $25^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to $60^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The results show that the sensors have a substantial sensitivity of -0.486 %$/^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ in the considered range and exhibit an excellent linear fit with a Adj. R-Square value of 0.96412. Other imperative characteristics like hysteresis analysis (4.08 %), response/recovery time, repeatability (3-cyclic), reproducibility etc. were also studied and discussed. The results show that the sensor is an excellent candidate for temperature sensing in the healthcare sector particularly for monitoring wound healing temperature via smart bandages.